Six more teams punched their tickets to the 2026 Montana’s Brier on Sunday by winning their provincial titles.
The most compelling result came out of the Northern Ontario championship in North Bay, where 40-year-old Sandy MacEwan and his Sudbury team defeated world No. 8 Team John Epping in the final, 6-5.
MacEwan had previously lost two provincial finals and will compete in his first Canadian men’s curling championship in St. John’s, Nfld.
Another first-time skip at this year’s Brier will be Jayden King as his young London-based team defeated defending champion Team Sam Mooibroek, 9-6, in the Ontario final.
Kevin Koe, 51, still has plenty in the tank after beating Team Johnson Tao, 9-7, in the Alberta final to qualify for his 14th Brier.
After competing in his first Brier last year and first Olympic Trials earlier this season, Rylan Kleiter will watch this year’s event from the sidelines after dropping the Saskatchewan final to Team Kelly Knapp by a score of 9-4.
Jean-Michel Menard, the 2006 Brier champion, will be in St. John’s after his rink, featuring last-rock thrower Felix Asselin, won the Quebec title with a 9-4 win over Team Julien Tremblay.
Kendal Thompson will skip Nova Scotia thanks to a 9-7 win over Team Owen Purcell, who won the province last year.
Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Northwest Territories will name their reps in the coming weeks.
Here’s a look at the field as it currently stands.
Brier Field Brier Field (TSN)
The Montana’s Brier runs Feb. 27-March 8 from the Mary Brown’s Centre in St. John’s, Nfld.